Community Blog: Fan parks not for the fainthearted

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I have decided that the World Cup fan parks are not my cup of tea. I am a bit of a football snob who prefers to either watch the game at the stadium or in front of the telly where I can follow the proceedings closely.

So, after much hustling and trying to purchase a ticket to the opening match of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, I ended up at the Sandton Fan Park at Innisfree Park.

There was no shortage of yellow shirt clad Bafana Bafana supporters armed with their vuvuzelas. The mood was festive, the sun had come out, and the tension ahead of the game could be felt throughout the park. And as the moment drew closer, the park filled.

The queues at the beer tent and the food court never seemed to get shorter, but that did not dampen the mood at the Fan Park. There were armies of police all around keeping the peace. The atmosphere was awesome and people seemed to be having a good old time.

But in a space like that it is hard to follow the game. You are either to far from the screen or too short because as soon as you perch on what seems to be the highest point in the field, someone in front of you will decide that they prefer to stand and let you watch their back instead. You join the masses in watching the game on your feet for the entire ninety minutes, then your neighbour starts puffing away and merrily sharing their ciggie smoke (stadiums are no smoking zones) with you.

The enthusiasm for the fan parks seems to have mellowed since the opening game. But, maybe things will get better and the mood will pick up as the games wind down.

This blog was written by a community blogger chosen to write on their community’s experience of the World Cup.

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